Resiliently mounted armor panel

ABSTRACT

An armor assembly having an armor panel, a base plate, and a resilient member coupled between the armor panel and the base plate is disclosed. An impact blast or projectile will strike the armor assembly and deflect the armor panel and the resilient member. The resilient member and armor panel absorb sufficient energy from the impact blast or projectile to prevent harm to underlying structures. The resilient member can be a spring or a solid member having a desired spring coefficient to protect against a certain impact load.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to resiliently mounted armor panels andmore specifically to protective armor panels to absorb projectiles andprojectile energy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Armor and armor cladding for vehicles, buildings, and installations hasbeen used for many years to provide protection from various explosivedevices and projectiles that can cause bodily harm or harm to objectssuch as machinery or computers. Armor is used for projection fromprojectiles such as bullets, sharp and/or pointed objects such as knivesand swords, blasts and shrapnel generated by explosive devices, and thelike.

With regard to body armor, protective armor is either rigid and heavy(such as ceramic plates), or flexible and lightweight (such as thatfabricated from aramid fibers, for example KEVLAR® brand materials).However, there is often a tradeoff in that armor that is more flexibleand lightweight often provides less protection than armor that is rigidand heavy.

With regard to armored vehicle cladding, the plating is thick and heavy,limiting its use. Greater protection is obtained by increasing thethickness of materials, such as steel. Some light vehicles cannotsupport such heavy armor and a compromise is deemed necessary.

Therefore, there is a continuing need for protective armor that islightweight and versatile but that also provides a high degree ofprotection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure is directed to a resilient armor assemblycomprising an armor panel, a base plate, and a resilient member disposedbetween the armor panel and the base plate. The resilient member has aspring coefficient sufficient to resiliently deform and prevent aprojectile from rupturing and penetrating the armor assembly when thearmor assembly is struck with a given impact load. The resilient membercan include a plurality of discrete resilient members spaced apartvariously over the armor panel. The resilient member can be a coilspring having a central axis that is oriented generally normal to thearmor panel. The resilient member can include an elastomeric material.

In other embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to a resilientarmor assembly having a base plate, a resilient member coupled to thebase plate, and an armor panel coupled to the resilient member. Theresilient member is positioned between the base plate and the armorpanel, and the armor panel and the resilient member are configured toabsorb energy from an incoming projectile or blast impact. The armorassembly further includes a guide member between the armor panel andbase plate. The guide member permits movement of the armor panel towardthe base plate in a direction generally normal to the armor panel andresists movement of the armor panel relative to the base plate in adirection generally parallel with a surface of the armor panel.

In yet other embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to An armorassembly including a base plate, an armor panel and means forresiliently absorbing an impact of a predetermined quantity. The meansfor resiliently absorbing the impact can be a spring or a solidresilient member or any other suitable equivalent structure and ispositioned between the base plate and the armor panel with the baseplate and armor panel being oriented generally parallel to one another.Impact incident on the armor panel or base plate will cause the meansfor resiliently absorbing impact to resiliently deflect in tension orcompression. The armor panel, per unit surface area, weighs less thanother armor panels made of materials comparable to the armor panel thatare also capable of withstanding the impact. The armor assembly has athickness defined between the armor panel and the base plate, andwherein the thickness of the armor assembly is comparable to a thicknessof the other armor panels also capable of withstanding the impact.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention aredescribed in detail below with reference to the following drawings.These depict particular embodiments of the invention and are notintended to limit the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.All of the drawings are schematics rather than precise representationsand are not drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an armor assembly according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a side-elevational view of the armor assembly of FIG. 1according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 3A-3D are side schematic views of armor assemblies and associatedstructures according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A is an isometric schematic view of a guide member for use with anarmor assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the guide member and resilientmember for the armor assembly according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5A is a side view of a conical coil spring according to embodimentsof the present disclosure.

FIG. 5B is a side view of the conical coil spring in a compressed stateaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5C is a top view of the conical coil spring of FIGS. 5A and 5Baccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a side schematic view of an armor assembly according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a side schematic view of an armor assembly according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a resiliently mounted armor panelassembly 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Theassembly 100 includes a base plate 110, an armor panel 120, and aplurality of resilient members 130 positioned between the armor panel120 and the base plate 110. FIG. 2 is a side view of the assembly 100.The following discussion will refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 simultaneously. Theassembly 100 can be used to protect buildings, installations, vehicles,or virtually any other structure. It can be sized and shaped accordingto the application, including use as body armor. Multiple panels may beused side by side. The base plate 110 can be part of the structure towhich the resilient members 130 are coupled, or the base plate 110 canbe part of the assembly 100 independent of the underlying structure. Forexample, the assembly 100 can be attached to an exterior surface of avehicle, or the vehicle's hull can take the place of the base plate 110with the resilient members 130 and armor panel 120 coupled to the hull.Alternatively, the base plate 110 may simply be a base framework.Preferably, the base plate 110 and armor panel 120 are made of animpact-resistant material such as a metal or a ceramic material used inconventional armor.

In some embodiments the individual resilient members 130 include a coilspring 132 and a guide member 134 positioned within the coil spring 132.The coil spring 132 can have a spring coefficient sufficient to absorbenergy from an incoming projectile such as a bullet or a blast impact.The combined resiliency of the armor panel 120 and the resilient members130 withstands the impact of the projectile or blast. A portion of theenergy is absorbed by the armor panel 120, another portion is absorbedby the resilient members 130, and yet another portion of the energy canbe absorbed by the base plate 110. In some embodiments the assembly 100is designed such that, at a given impact load, the impact will be fullyabsorbed by the armor panel 120 and the resilient members 130. Theresilient members 130 allow the assembly 100 to weigh less and stillwithstand a significant impact. Conversely, the assembly 100 can weighthe same as a conventional armor and yet withstand a greater impact dueto the capability of absorbing energy through the resilient members 130.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a basic assembly 100 where the base plate 110 andarmor panel 120 are square and there are four resilient members 130placed at the corners of the base plate 110 and armor panel 120. Theplacement, number, and dimensions of the base plate 110, armor panel120, and resilient members 130 can vary as needed for a particularapplication. In some embodiments these parameters are at least partiallydetermined by the expected impact load. For example, if the assembly 100is to be used where it will take fire from a weapon firing .50 caliberrounds, which weigh approximately 661 grains and travel at approximately2800 feet per second (muzzle velocity), the armor panel can beapproximately 0.25 to 0.75 inches thick (depending on the projectile itis designed to absorb), the resilient members 130 can be approximately 1to 12 inches tall (preferably between 2-6 inches tall), and can have aspring coefficient to absorb the expected load (potentially between 800to 2000 pounds of force for a 50 caliber or like round). Longer springswould have lower spring rates. The spring rate selected would be theforce of the targeted projectile for the application divided by thespring length available. The spacing between any two resilient members130 can be between approximately 8 to 12 inches. These parameters canvary based on the impact type and load, and whether or not the baseplate 110 is configured to resist any of the impact energy. The spacebetween the resilient members 130 can be empty (with or without air) orcan be filled with a material that may contribute to absorbing impactenergy, or may simply insulate the space or provide heat shielding.

FIGS. 3A-3D are schematic side views of assemblies 100 of differentorientations according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In eachfigure the impact approaches the assembly from the left-hand side asshown by the arrow A. In FIG. 3A the assembly 100 includes a base plate100, armor panel 120, and resilient members 130 between the base plate110 and armor panel 120. The assembly 100 is attached to a structure112. In this configuration the structure 112 is not necessarily intendedto withstand a significant portion of the impact. All or nearly all theimpact is intended to be taken up by the assembly 100 including the baseplate 110. The impact will cause the armor panel 120 to deflect, deform,and even rupture. The resilient members 130 will compress, and the baseplate 110 will deflect, deform, and even partially rupture. Assuming theimpact load is exactly known, the minimum dimensions will allow theprojectile to pass through the armor panel 120, deflect the resilientmembers 130, and become embedded within the base plate 110 withoutpenetrating the base plate 110 with significant energy.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3B is similar to that of FIG. 3A, althoughin this embodiment the base plate 110 is omitted and the resilientmembers 130 are coupled directly to the structure 112. In embodiments inwhich the structure 112 is not intended to or capable of withstanding asignificant portion of the impact, the armor panel 120 and resilientmembers 130 can be designed to withstand an impact load withoutpermitting the projectile to pass through the armor panel 120.Alternatively, where the structure 112 is sufficiently resilient towithstand a portion of the impact, the armor panel 120 and resilientmembers 130 can be designed such that the projectile deflects, deforms,and ruptures the armor panel 120, deflects the resilient members 130,and becomes embedded in the structure 112.

The embodiment depicted in FIG. 3C includes an assembly 100 including abase plate 110, resilient members 130, and an armor panel 120 on theopposite side of the structure. For example, if the structure 112 is avehicle hull the assembly 100 is on the inside of the vehicle. As theimpact reaches the armor panel 120 the resilient members 130 will betensioned. Assuming the impact load is exactly known, the minimumdimensions will allow the projectile to deflect, deform, and ruptureboth the structure 112 and the base plate 110, tension the resilientmembers 130, and become embedded in the armor panel 120 withoutpenetrating the armor panel 120 with significant energy. The structure112 may or may not absorb a sufficient component of the impact energy,and the dimensions of the assembly components can be chosen accordingly.For a given impact load the dimensions of the assembly components may besmaller if the structure 112 itself absorbs a significant portion of theimpact energy.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3D is similar to that of FIG. 3C but thebase plate 110 is omitted. The projectile will penetrate the structure112, impact the armor panel 120, tension the resilient members 130, thendeflect, deform, and become embedded in the armor panel 120. Thecoupling between the resilient members 130 and the structure 112 ispreferably sufficiently strong to hold the assembly 100 to the structure112 during the impact.

FIGS. 4A and 4B present an isometric and sectional elevational views ofa guide member 134 and a cross-sectional view of the guide member 134taken along line A-A of FIG. 2, respectively, according to embodimentsof the present disclosure. The guide member 134 includes a first guidecomponent 136 and a second guide component 138 that engage with oneanother and can move relative to one another along an axis B. At the endof the guide components is a flange or plate with a bolt hole by whichthe guide components are fixed to the base plate 110 and armor panel120. Any other suitable fixation mechanism can be used as well, such asan outwardly protruding flange with bolt holes or a threaded engagementbetween the guide members and the plates. For example, a bolt may befixed to one of the plate and slidably engage the other plate with abolt head or nut limiting the outer movement of the plate but allowingcompression of the springs for the outer plate to move toward the baseplate. In the embodiment shown, the first guide component 136 is acylindrical shaft and the second guide component 138 is a hollowcylindrical shaft that receives the first guide component 136. In otherembodiments, the two components can have any suitable complementaryshape, such as a triangular, square, or oval-shaped profile and recess.Also, the second guide component 138 may simply be a recess or hole inthe base plate 110 that receives the first guide component 136. Thefirst guide component 136 has a mating surface 140 and the second guidecomponent 138 has a mating surface 142 that can slide relative to oneanother and ensure that the armor plate 120 and base plate 110 movetoward one another during impact.

When impacted, the guide member 134 deflects by a travel distance 144,which is determined by the dimensions of the guide member 134 and by thespring coefficient of the coil spring 132. In some embodiments, thespring coefficient is approximately 230 lbs/inch and the travel distanceis approximately 1.3 inches. The travel distance can also be defined inproportion to other parameters of the assembly, such as the length ofthe resilient member 130 or the impact load.

FIG. 5A shows a coil spring 146 according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure. The coil spring 146 has a conical shape with a narrow end148 and a broad end 150. The spring 146 can be inverted with the narrowend 148 against the base plate 110. FIG. 5B shows the coil spring 146 ina compressed state. The conical shape of the coil spring 146 permits thespring to deflect down to a thickness substantially equal to the wirethickness. The pitch of the coils and the slope of the cone can bedetermined in such a way to permit the spring to compress fully. FIG. 5Cis a top view of the coil spring 146. The coil spring 146 has an outerend 152 and an inner end 154 which can be pinned or otherwise fastenedto the base plate 110 and armor panel 120, respectively, to maintain thespring 146 in position. The coil spring 146 can have loops 147 at one orboth ends by which to secure the coil spring 146 to the base plate 110and armor panel 120. Alternatively, the coil spring 146 can be used witha guide member as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B in which case the guidemember can be cylindrical and sized to fit within the narrowest portionof the spring 146.

FIG. 6 is a side view of another armor assembly 200 embodiment of thepresent disclosure including an armor panel 120 and a base plate 110.The assembly 200 includes a solid resilient member 210, such as anelastomeric member, positioned between the armor panel 120 and the baseplate 110. The solid resilient member 210 can be a generally cylindricalmember with a grooved outer surface 212 that has a desired springcoefficient. The spring coefficient of the solid resilient member 210can be substantially the same as that achieved by other embodimentsdiscussed above featuring a coil spring. The material, dimensions,number, and placement of the solid resilient members 210 can vary toachieve an overall spring coefficient within a desired range for anexpected impact load. The solid resilient member 210 can include a guidemember 214 embedded within, adjacent to, or spaced apart from the solidresilient member 210 to guide the movement of the armor panel 120 towardand away from the base plate 110. The guide member 214 can be generallysimilar to the guide member 134 described above with reference to FIGS.4A and 4B.

FIG. 7 is a side view of yet another armor assembly 300 according toembodiments of the present disclosure including an armor panel 120, abase plate 110, and a substantially solid layer 310 of resilientmaterial between the armor panel 120 and the base plate 100. The solidlayer 310 can be made of any suitable material, including metal,elastomer, ceramic, or any other suitable energy-dissipating orenergy-absorbing material. Regardless of the material, the solid layer310 has a spring coefficient within a desired range to absorb impactenergy resiliently. The assembly 300 can also include resilient membersembedded within the solid layer 310, such as the resilient members 210shown in FIG. 6 or the resilient members 130 shown above in FIGS. 1-5.As with the other embodiments, the number, size, and positioning of theresilient members within the solid layer 310 can vary as needed toachieve a desired spring coefficient for a given expected impact load.In general, more and larger resilient members increases the springcoefficient while fewer and smaller resilient members lowers the springconstant.

The armor assemblies disclosed herein achieve a desired level ofprotection at a significantly lower weight threshold. Alternatively, fora given weight limit, the armor assemblies of the present disclosureoffer a greater degree of protection from impact blasts and otherthreats.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited tothe embodiments disclosed herein as such embodiments may vary somewhat.It is also to be understood that the terminology employed herein is usedfor the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is notintended to be limiting in scope and that limitations are only providedby the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

1. A resilient armor assembly, comprising: an armor panel constructedfrom an impact-resistant material; a base; a resilient member disposedbetween the armor panel and the base, wherein the resilient member has aspring coefficient that is less than 2000 lbs/inch and the resilientmember is elastically deformable over a deformation distance greaterthan 1 inch while absorbing energy provided by a ballistics projectilethat impacts the armor panel, and wherein the impact-resistant materialis such that when the projectile impacts the armor panel, the assemblywithstands the impact without permitting the projectile to pass throughat least one of the armor panel or the base and the panel movesrelatively towards or away from the base as the resilient membercompresses or expands.
 2. The resilient armor assembly of claim 1wherein the resilient member comprises a plurality of discrete resilientmembers spaced apart over the armor panel.
 3. The resilient armorassembly of claim 2 wherein the resilient member comprises a coilspring.
 4. The resilient armor assembly of claim 3 wherein the coilspring has a central axis that is oriented generally normal to the armorpanel.
 5. The resilient armor assembly of claim 1 wherein the resilientmember comprises an elastomeric material.
 6. The resilient armorassembly of claim 1 wherein the resilient member comprises: a coilspring having a central axis; and a guide member positioned within thecoil spring and configured to permit the spring to move axially along anaxis defined by the coil spring.
 7. The resilient armor assembly ofclaim 1 wherein the resilient member comprises a wire forming a coilspring having a conical shape.
 8. The resilient armor assembly of claim7 wherein the thickness and pitch of the coil spring permits the springto deform to a height substantially equal to the thickness of the wire.9. The resilient armor assembly of claim 1 wherein the base platecomprises part of an installation or vehicle to which the armor panel iscoupled.
 10. The resilient armor assembly of claim 1 wherein the armorpanel is nearer to a source of an expected impact or projectile than thebase, such that the impact or projectile reaches the armor panel beforereaching the resilient member or the base.
 11. The resilient armorassembly of claim 1 wherein the base includes a base plate, and whereinthe base plate is nearer to a source of an expected impact or projectilethan the resilient member or the armor panel such that the impact orprojectile would contact the base plate before contacting the resilientmember or the armor panel.
 12. The resilient armor assembly of claim 1wherein the resilient member is made from one or more of urethane foam,silicone, steel, stainless steel, titanium, carbon fiber, ceramic,urethane, fiberglass.
 13. The resilient armor assembly of claim 1wherein the armor panel and base plate are made of ceramic reinforcedcarbon fiber, ceramic composite, carbon fiber, fiberglass, para-aramidfibers, aramid fibers, steel, stainless steel, a composite grid, andstainless and aluminum alloys.
 14. The resilient armor assembly of claim1, further comprising a guide member having a first guide component anda second guide component, wherein the first guide component is coupledto the armor panel and the second guide component is coupled to the baseplate, and wherein the first and second guide component engage togetherto permit the armor panel and base plate to move toward and away fromone another along an axis generally normal to the surface of the armorpanel and base plate.
 15. The resilient armor assembly of claim 14wherein the first guide component is a cylindrical shaft and the secondguide component is a hollow cylindrical shaft configured to receive thefirst guide component.
 16. The resilient armor assembly of claim 14wherein the resilient member comprises a coil spring encircling theguide member.
 17. The resilient armor assembly of claim 1 wherein theresilient member has a spring coefficient of approximately between 50and 800 pounds per inch.
 18. The resilient armor assembly of claim 1wherein the resilient member covers between about 10-50% of the surfacearea for a given portion of the armor panel.
 19. A resilient armorassembly comprising: a base plate; a resilient member coupled to thebase plate and is elastically deformable over a deformation distancegreater than 1 inch and has a spring coefficient that is less than 2000lbs/inch; an armor panel constructed from an impact resistant materialand coupled to the resilient member, wherein the resilient member ispositioned between the base plate and the armor panel, wherein the armorpanel and the resilient member are configured to absorb energy providedby a incoming projectile that it impacts the armor panel and theimpact-resistant material is such that when the projectile impacts thepanel, the assembly withstands the impact without permitting theprojectile to pass through at least one of the armor panel or the baseplate; and a guide member between the armor panel and base plate,wherein the guide member permits relative movement of the armor paneltowards the base plate in a direction generally normal to the armorpanel and resists movement of the armor panel relative to the base platein a direction generally parallel with a surface of the armor panel. 20.The resilient armor assembly of claim 19 wherein the resilient membercomprises a coil spring.
 21. The resilient armor assembly of claim 19wherein the guide member is positioned concentrically with the resilientmember.
 22. The resilient armor assembly of claim 19 wherein the armorpanel is positioned nearer to a source of the incoming projectile orblast impact than the resilient member, such that the incomingprojectile or blast impact energy would contact the armor panel andcause the resilient member to compress.
 23. The resilient armor assemblyof claim 19 wherein the base plate is positioned nearer to a source ofthe incoming projectile or blast impact than the armor panel, such thatthe incoming projectile or blast impact, after penetrating the baseplate, impacts the armor panel and causes the resilient member totension.
 24. The resilient armor assembly of claim 19 wherein theresilient member has a spring coefficient of approximately between 50and 800 pounds per inch.
 25. An armor assembly, comprising: a baseplate; an armor panel constructed from an impact-resistant material; andmeans for resiliently absorbing an impact of a predetermined quantityprovided by a projectile that impacts the armor panel, the means forresiliently absorbing the impact being positioned between the base plateand the armor panel with the base plate and armor panel being orientedgenerally parallel to one another, wherein the impact resistant materialis such that when the projectile impacts the armor panel, the assemblywithstands the impact without permitting the projectile to pass throughat least one of the armor panel or the base and the means forresiliently absorbing the includes a spring coefficient that is lessthan 2000 lbs/inch and undergoes an elastic tension or an elasticcompression deformation greater than 1 inch.
 26. The armor assembly ofclaim 25, wherein the armor assembly is configured to be attached to theexterior of a vehicle.
 27. A resilient armor assembly, comprising: anarmor panel; a base; a resilient member disposed between the armor paneland the base, wherein the resilient member has a spring coefficient thatis less than 2000 lbs/inch and the resilient member is elasticallydeformable over a deformation range greater than 1 inch while absorbingenergy from a projectile or blast, and wherein the armor panel is freeto more toward and away from the base as the resilient member compressesand expands.
 28. A resilient armor assembly, comprising: an armor panelconstructed from an impact-resistant material of a thickness that isless than 1 inch, wherein the armor panel is operative to withstand aballistics projectile with a velocity that is greater than 2000 feet persecond; a base; a resilient member disposed between the armor panel andthe base, wherein the resilient member absorbs energy from a projectileor blast, and wherein the armor panel is free to more toward and awayfrom the base as the resilient member compresses and expands.